057 ± [visual / location: around town] i like the autumn but this place is getting old

[aintnoconvict]

At roughly quarter to nine in the morning, Taxon is greeted with a video broadcast of a holo broadcast.

"Hello?"

One can tell it's not a proper arrival because instead of the usual stark arrival room, there's a tiny Glitch hovering over a nightstand. Beyond, there is a patchwork quilt covering a shifting, grumbling lump.

"DG...Cain?" From under the covers, Glitch's head emerges and he peers blearily at his tiny duplicate. "Raw?"

"Cute," he mumbles, the props his chin up to watch the show.

"Cain's going to be mad," the hologram remarks fussily. Glitch snorts. "But...no, it's not my fault this time. I was following him! I was following him! I was follow-"

"All right, enough of that." Glitch pokes his tablet so the holo replay of his arrival vanishes, then scowls when he notices that it's still broadcasting. "Guess that's the aliens' way of wishing me a happy anniversary. Morning, all."

Then he turns the tablet off and flops back with a sigh.

Three annuals. Thirty-six months. One hundred fifty-six weeks. Something like a thousand ninety-five days and he's still not sure how he survived the first dozen of them. Illyria'd basically pointed him at the door and he'd been on his own until DG's arrival. Adaptation. Coping. Moving on. Waiting and surviving, that was 90% of this place.

Today, though, he'll keep busy and distribute a few gifts. The first pumpkin from the garden for Cain with a short length of distinctive gold braiding tied around the stem. One of DG's sketchbooks for Azkadellia, a more intimate glimpse of the younger princess' life here. He's ready to let go, and he hopes it will give Az some comfort. The first volume of his organized notes on Taxon for Mayland, a drink or two with Paul after lunch, dropping a scarf off for Madelyne (the days are getting chillier and he frets), and then...then he'll take Bagoas out for dinner. Because why not.

He sends a voice message to his friend to make arrangements (Italian, Glitch decides, will be nice), gets ready for the day, loads a basket with goodies, and sets off on his bicycle to make the rounds.


ooc: THREE YEARS what even. He'll be stopping by to see everyone mentioned above (and all of that's hadnwavey if you like), but anyone not mentioned is totally welcome to bump into him too. OPEN POST IS OPEN.

Comments

[genequeen]

"I've been better, if I'm being honest. I'm tired and frustrated but, all in all, it could be much worse," Madelyne says as she stands up to welcome Glitch.

"Have you been to the house before? Not many people have been by."

[aintnoconvict]

"Hrm," Glitch remarks with a little frown as he appraoches the porch. "That's how I tend to deal with things: find a bright side and hang on for dear life."

He holds out the scarf. "And by random gift-giving and visit, which...no, I haven't done before here. I wasn't sure since..."

He trails off, shrugging. Not sure it was his place.

[genequeen]

"Well, if I'm here, you're welcome, Glitch. You're my friend."

Reaching out, she takes the scarf and looks at it before she looks up at him, "Thank you. This is beautiful." There is a wide smile on her face.

[aintnoconvict]

"Glad you like it," Glitch syas with a grin. "Winters get nasty here, I think folks need all the help they can get."

And, as he is a friend and is welcome, he takes advantage of a spare chari and settles with a sigh.

"So. As a friend, I guess it's my place to ask what's got you all tired and frustrated."

[genequeen]

Madelyne wraps the scarf around her shoulders, even if it doesn't really work with the outfit she's got on, she's still going to wear it, "Oh, you know, the usual. Life. Boys. Stuff."

[aintnoconvict]

"I hear that," Glitch remarks wryly and settles back with a vague little smile. "Well, kinda. Is it a thing to talk about or do you want distracting?"

[genequeen]

"I don't know, I've never really done the whole talk about boys thing... Does it help?"

Madelyne sits back down on the porch swing and looks toward Glitch.

[aintnoconvict]

Glitch tilts his head, considering.

"It might? I'm not really sure," he begins eventually. "With...in my experience there's some good-natured teasing thrown in, but then it's been less tiring and frustrating and more like happy. Mostly."

He pauses a moment. "I am finally gonna have a proper chat with my best friend's fella today. We've kinda been putting it off for...oh, little over an annual."

Diversionary tactic: talk about his issues a bit, maybe make it easier for Maddy to talk about her.

[genequeen]

"Wait... you've been putting off talking to your best friend's ... For a year...? There aren't that many people here, how did you avoid him? Or did you just not talk about... this?" Madelyne grins at him, sliding over closer to him.

"I understand not talking about problems..."

[aintnoconvict]

"He's been putting it off too," Glitch says mock-defensively. "But...really we just don't-- we're in-laws, basically. You're not meant to get along wit in-laws all the time." And then he grins a little slyly. "Which is why we're making sure to meet when there's plenty of booze available."

[genequeen]

"Scott and I seem to be very good about not talking about any possible issues. Of course, I think he'd go so far as to say there isn't anything to talk about," Madelyne says as she reaches out to put her hand on his arm with a smile.

"So what are you going to talk about? Or maybe, I should ask, what haven't you been talking about?"

[aintnoconvict]

"I think I know they type," Glitch says dubiously, thinking of the early months with Cain. "It takes patience, and them some more patience, then some pushing and patience again. As for me and Paul..."

He shrugs. "I'm not even sure what we haven't talked about, you know? We've been keeping that much distance, it's tricky."

[genequeen]

"The pushing part, I don't know how to do or, rather, I don't know how to judge how hard to push."

Madelyne tilts her head side to side, sort of indicating uncertainty, "Wow. I... That's impressive, Glitch."